This invention relates to occupant restraint systems and more particularly to occupant restraint systems of the type which releasably secure the cushion against initial deployment normal to or toward the occupant and direct such initial deployment laterally of the occupant.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,452, Occupant Restraint System, issued Apr. 23, 1991 to Gregory A. Miller and assigned to the assignee of this invention, discloses an occupant restraint system which includes a reaction member mounted to the support of the restraint module and located above the inflator of an occupant restraint system. The reaction member is sealed to the upper wall portion of the occupant restraint cushion to prevent the impingement of pressure fluid from the inflator against such upper wall portion during initial deployment of the cushion and thereby restrict such initial deployment laterally of the occupant through the unfolding of the folded side and end walls of the cushion.
Copending application Ser. No. 07/752,133 Occupant Restraint System, filed Aug. 29, 1991, Frantz et al. and assigned to the assignee of this invention discloses a reaction member type system wherein the reaction member is mounted to the support by a flexible mounting member which is looped through the reaction member and a retainer member and has the legs thereof secured to the support of the system. The reaction member is pocketed to the inside of the upper wall of the folded cushion by flaps of flexible material. The flaps can be individual flaps which overlap and are secured to the inside of the upper wall of the folded cushion adjacent the periphery of the reaction member. Alternatively, the flaps can be part of a separable sheet of material having its edge portions secured to the inside of the upper wall of the cushion adjacent the periphery of the reaction member. Both types of flaps, individual flaps or separable flaps of a sheet of flexible material, are releasably secured to the reaction member by the retainer member which sandwiches the flaps to the reaction member and is secured thereto.
The occupant restraint system of this invention is of the foregoing types but additionally includes a tether arrangement for tethering the upper wall of the cushion to the support when such upper wall is deployed normal to or toward the occupant. In a preferred embodiment of the system, strip members of flexible material have their end portions formed into outwardly flaring shaped flaps. The strip members are arranged in cruciform fashion with their bights or center portions crossing each other over the reaction member. The edges of the flap end portions of the strip members are sewn or otherwise secured to the inside of the upper wall of the cushion adjacent opposite respective edge portions of the reaction member. The flap end portions of the strip members overlap each other and overlie respective edge portions of the reaction member to pocket the reaction member to the inside of the upper wall of the cushion. The leg portion of each strip member between the center portion and a respective end portion is folded over such end portion and over itself. The retainer member holds the end portions and folded leg portions against the reaction member. When the upper wall of the cushion deploys normal to or toward the occupant in a subsequent stage of deployment, the leg portions and flap end portions of the strip members act as tethers to tether the upper wall to the reaction member.
The primary feature of this invention is to provide an occupant restraint system having tether means which (1) pockets a reaction member to the inside of the upper wall of the cushion to delay initial deployment of such upper wall toward the occupant; and, (2) tethers such upper wall when such upper wall is subsequently deployed toward the occupant. Another feature is that the tether means include strip members of flexible material and the pocket is provided by the end portions of such the strip members of flexible material. A further feature is that the end portions of the strip members of flexible material provide flaps which overlap each other and overlie the periphery of the reaction member to pocket the reaction member to the upper wall of the cushion. Yet another feature is that the edges of the end portions of such strip members of flexible material are sewn or otherwise secured to the inside of the upper wall of the cushion adjacent respective edge portions of the reaction member. Yet a further feature is that the strip members of flexible material are arranged in cruciform fashion with the bights or center portions of the strip members of flexible material crossing each other over the reaction member. Still another feature is that the leg portions of the strip members of flexible material, between the center portions thereof and the end portions thereof, are folded over the end portions and over a respective end portion. $till a further feature is that the center portions, end portions and folded over leg portions of the strip members of flexible material are sandwiched between the reaction member and retainer member. Yet another feature is that the end portions of the strip members of flexible material are of outwardly flaring shape and are arranged in overlapping pairs.